been reason to apprehend. His own force now was continually increased by ships and men, resorting to him "out of all havens of the realm; for the gentlemen of England hired ships from all parts at their own charge, and with one accord came flocking thither as to a set field, where glory was to be attained and faithful service performed unto their prince and their country." Among the volunteers who thus came out were the earls of Oxford, Northumberland, and Cumberland, with many others, whose names are conspicuous in Elizabeth's famous reign, the most illustrious of them being Walter Raleigh. So with a clear sky and a fair south-west wind the Armada held on its course, closely followed by the July English fleet. On the evening of the 27th the Spaniards 27. came to anchor before Calais just at sunset: their intention had been to hold on for Dunkirk in expectation of being joined there by the prince; but they were told by the pilots that if they proceeded any further they would be in danger of being carried by force of the tide into the northern sea. The English, also, anchored here, and within cannon shot. Seymour and Winter had joined with their squadrons. "And now were there in the English fleet 140 sail, all of them ships fit for fight, good sailors, nimble and tight for tacking about which way they would." Hitherto the whole brunt had been borne by not more than fifteen of them.

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The conferences at Ostend had continued up to this time; but when the firing was heard at sea all dissembling was laid aside." The prince of Parma has

been accused of more dissimulation than was consistent with his honourable character, for having solemnly assured the English commissioners that the Armada was not intended against England, if the terms for which they were treating should be agreed on. There seems to have been no duplicity in this, because in that case it would immediately have been directed against the United Provinces. Honourable dealing, however, was so little practised, or so little understood, in those times,

hat these commissioners thought themselves in danger, because no hostages had been taken for their safety; and when they obtained a passport and a convoy to the frontiers," they gave great thanks to the Spanish commissioners, and much commended the prince's honourable disposition in that he had so justly kept his word with them."* That prince, as soon as he was assured that the Armada was on its way, had made over his command in the Netherlands to the old lord of Mansfelt; and in that same spirit of Romish devotion, in which the expedition was set forth, went in pilgrimage to our lady of Halle, the most noted idol in those countries, that he might obtain her patronage and protection in this great attempt at the conquest of England. turning from thence he repaired to Dunkirk, where he was to embark: there he heard the firing on the coast, found that Stanley's regiment of deserters was the only one which had embarked, and that the other troops were as little willing to go on board the ships as the ships themselves were likely to get out of the harbour.†

Re

It had been concerted with the States, that a squadron of about thirty ships, under Cornelis Lonke van Rosendael, should unite with Seymour's squadron, and take its station between Dover and Calais. It had sailed with this intention, but a storm had compelled it to put back to Zeeland; and some of the English, too prone to put a sinister interpretation upon all the actions of their allies, complained of this, as if there had been an intentional breach of faith. But the squadron performed better service than if the original plan had been carried into effect; for, when the weather allowed of its again coming forth, it joined the admiral of Zeeland, Justinus van Nassau, and the vice-admiral of Holland, Jonker Pieter van der Does, who had with them about five and thirty sail of from 80 to 250 tons: 1200 soldiers were on board, selected from all the regiments in the service of the States, as good soldiers, accustomed to sea service; and with part of *Grimstone, 996. + Ib. 1003.

this fleet they watched every creek and haven in Flanders, and with the remainder blockaded Dunkirk.* In vain did the duke of Medina Sidonia despatch messenger after messenger to the prince, urging him to send forty light vessels for the immediate protection of the Armada, cumbered as it was by the unwieldy strength of its own ships, and entreating him to put to sea with his army, that they might proceed together to the Thames. His flat-bottomed boats were leaky; his provisions were not ready; his men were not willing: the sailors had been brought together by compulsion, and were deserting as fast as they could from what they knew to be a desperate service: the galleys which might have cleared the way for him (if it could have been cleared) had been lost on the voyage; and the great general of his age knew that if he attempted to sail from Dunkirk in the face of the Dutch fleet, it would be wilfully exposing himself and his army to imminent and certain destruction.*. Yet, unless some effort were made, all these mighty preparations would be frustrated, and Spain would suffer a loss of reputation not to be repaired; and he promised, if wind and tide permitted, to join them within three days.†

Fair as the hopes of the English were at this time, and admirable as their conduct had been from the hour that the Armada came in sight, it has been justly observed that the Spanish duke had thus far conducted his great expedition with as little evil and annoyance as could have been reasonably expected. The danger to England was still undiminished. The Armada had arrived unbroken at the point intended for its junction with the force from Flanders: it still appeared invincible to all except the English and the Dutch, and except those also who, in the confidence of its invincibility, had embarked in it. While it lay off Calais, in this anxious interval of expectation, Flemings, Walloons, and French came thick and threefold to behold it, ad

*Bor. 321. 323.

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+ Camden, 414. Grimstone, 1003. Turner, 680.

+ Turner, 679.

miring the exceeding greatness of the ships, and their warlike order. The greatest kept the outside next the enemy, like strong castles, fearing no assault; the lesser placed in the middle ward.”* At this time the English might regret the loss of Calais; but never were the councils of England more wisely directed. The Spanish ships," as castles pitched in the sea, had their bulks so planked with great beams, that bullets might strike and stick, but never pass through, so that little availed the English cannon, except only in playing on their masts and tackling." In this respect they seemed as invulnerable as the floating batteries employed against Gibraltar. And their height was such, that our bravest seamen were against any attempt at boarding them. These things had been well perpended by Elizabeth's ministers, and the lord admiral was instructed to convert eight of his worst vessels into fire ships. The orders arrived in such good time, and were obeyed with such alacrity, that within thirty hours after the enemy had cast anchor off Calais these ships were disburdened of all that was worth saving, filled with combustibles, and all their ordnance charged; and their sides being smeared with pitch, rosin, and wildfire, they were sent, in the dead of the night, with wind and tide, against the Spanish fleet; "which when the Spaniards saw, the whole sea glittering and shining with the flames thereof, they remembered those terrible fire-ships which had been used in the Scheldt, and the fearful cry of 'The fire of Antwerp !'" ran through the fleet. They apprehended not the danger of fire alone, but all the evils that "deadly engines and murderous inventions" could inflict: some cut their cables; others let their hawsers slip, and in haste, fear, and confusion, put to sea, "happiest they who could first be gone, though few or none could tell which course to take."†

* Stowe, 748. "Fresh victuals were straight brought aboard. Captains and cavaliers might have what they would for their money, and gave the French so liberally, that within twelve hours an egg was worth sixpence,

besides thanks."

Hakluyt, 601. Strype, 861. Camden, 415. Grimstone, 1003. Bor. 324.

July In this confusion, the largest of the galleasses, 29. commanded by D. Hugo de Moncada ran foul of another ship, lost her rudder, floated about at the mercy of the tide, and, making the next morning for Calais, as well as she could, ran upon the sands. There she was presently assailed by the English small craft, who lay battering her with their guns, but dared not attempt to board, till the admiral sent an hundred men in his boats, under sir Amias Preston. The Spaniards made a brave resistance, hoping presently to be succoured by the prince of Parma, and the action was for a long time doubtful. At length Moncada was shot through the head, the galleas was carried by boarding, and most of the Spaniards, leaping into the sea, were drowned. The Veeder of the fleet, D. Antonio de Manrique, was one of those who reached the shore; and he was the first person that carried certain news to Spain of their now vincible navy." This huge bottom, manned with 400 soldiers and 300 galley-slaves, had also 50,000 ducats on board; 66 a booty," says Speed, "well fitting the English soldiers' affections." Having ransacked all, and freed the slaves from their miserable fetters, they were about to set that vessel of emptiness on fire; but the governor of Calais would not permit this, fearing, it is said, the damage that might thereupon ensue to the town and haven. He fired, therefore, upon the captors, and the ship and ordnance became his prize. *

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The duke, when the fire-ships were first perceived, had ordered the whole fleet to weigh anchor and stand off to sea, and when the danger was over, return every ship to its former station. The first part of this order they were too much alarmed to wait for or to heed; and when he returned himself, and fired a signal for others to follow his example, the gun was heard by few, "because they were scattered all about, and driven by fear, some of them into the wide sea, and some among the shoals of Flanders." Little broken yet in strength, though now losing fast the hope and the con

Hakluyt, Strype, Camden, ut supra.